Camshaft phaser assemblies are well known in the automotive field. It is also known to include a trigger wheel in camshaft phaser assemblies to determine an angular position of a component within the camshaft phaser assembly, such as a phaser rotor. Known camshaft phaser assemblies including trigger wheels are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,305,949 and 6,609,498.
In an overhead camshaft engine, a timing sensor is typically mounted on the cam itself. In a “cam-in-block” engine design or “type-5” valve train where there is only one camshaft in a “V” engine design, the trigger wheel is typically mounted to the front of the engine at the end of the camshaft.
Mounting a trigger wheel to the end of the camshaft opposite from the gearbox is difficult since this procedure requires access deep within the engine block, which is an area that is both difficult to access and typically exposed to harsh operating conditions.
It would be desirable to provide a trigger wheel for a camshaft phaser gearbox assembly that is more easily accessible and reliably provides a camshaft position.